Authors Note: I am so sorry for not updating in such a long time. I have been wickedly busy with Thanksgiving and Christmas Preperations. Plus I felt like I had written myself into a corner with that last chapter andI did not know how to get Vader and Padme back together without compromising the characters. ( I hope I did a believeable job)I talked it out with a friend and soI dedicate this chapter to her. Thanks dear. NowI hope you enjoy this chapter. Hopefully more will come this week as the kids and I are on Christmas break.

Chapter 10

Padme was mentally exhausted. She did not know how her poor heart could take another wrong thing this wretched day. Remembering her children's birthday was hard enough and being physically assaulted by one man she thought she could trust made her heart feel like one sore pile of Jell-O. She had just enough strength to get in bed and pull the covers over her head. She did not want to think anymore or talk she just wanted oblivion. Soon the darkness of sleep took over and cradled her the peaceful bliss she so needed.

Padme was hardly asleep when a presence seemed to walk into her dark bliss. She could not make out whom it was yet somehow the presence was familiar. It came to her as dark rolling thundercloud yet for some reason she was not afraid of it. It did not consume her, as she would have expected. Instead it stood still just an arm length away from her. She felt the urge to touch the cloud and when she did a light seemed to burst from the very center of the cloud. It entered her and filled her with a burst of fire that toughed her very heart making it strong again. "Anakin," she whispered. Suddenly the cloud changed into the form of Vader. He said nothing he just touched her cheek where he had hit her and kissed it. The kiss was not soft nor was it rough. At the touch of his lips to her cheek all the soreness went away and she could feel the bruise dissipate into nothingness. Then his lips traveled from her cheek to her lips and they claimed them. She gasped for the possessiveness that was conveyed in the kiss. Vader's lips were hard and yet not hard enough to bruise. This was kiss that told her she was his and none could or would take her from him. She knew that she wanted to be no where but right there at that very moment. She threw her arms around his neck and met his kiss with an equally hard and possessive kiss of her own. She always knew she could never resist him forever and he had always held her heart no matter what. Love for him filled her again and she felt strong enough to go face him, in fact the need for him drove her from the blissful world of sleep.

Padme's Eyes pooped open and she jumped from the bed practically screaming for Jennifer.

She came running in the room half in a panic. "What is it, milady?"

"I need to get cleaned up can you find me some fresh cloths, please."

"Are we leaving, milady?"

"No, just the opposite. I need to see my husband but I will not go to him looking like this."

"Oh milady, you can't he will hurt you again."

Padme turned to her with a slight glare. "You would dare to defy me? I can hurt you my dear. I don't want any arguments. I know what I am doing and you need to help me do what I need to do."

Jennifer bowed meekly to Padme. She was quaking inside because she had never seen her mistress so upset her. She had spoken her mind so freely earlier that she had forgotten her place. Jennifer ran from the room to go and find something for Padme to wear. She went to her closet and got a simple black silk gown. It was sleeveless with tiny pearl straps that went across the shoulders making an X in the back. It was floor length with the little pearls trimming the very end of the gown. Jennifer had worn it once when her old master had needed her to join him at an elegant party. She hated the party because she went with him yet for some reason she could not get rid of the dress when she left with Vader. It was the only thing she brought from that place and she was sure it was because the dress itself was too beautiful to destroy. She had no intention of ever wearing it again so she had no problem giving it to Padme.

Padme was just getting out of the shower when Jennifer came back to the room. "Milady, will this do?"

Padme dressing in nothing but a towel came out of the fresher to see what Jennifer had brought. She could not believe her eyes. It was perfect. "Jennifer, I just love it. Where did you find such a beautiful dress on such short notice?"

"It was once worn by me, milady. But I gladly give it to you."

"Jennifer please forgive my outburst earlier. I have no intention of ever harming you. I just need you to know that I love Vader. I can't explain it. I never have been able to explain it. I just know when it come to loving him I do and he loves me under that hard exterior there is a soft beating heart. His heart is pure I have always known this and that is why I have always loved him even though it has never been easy."

"How can you tell, milady?"

Padme slipped on the dress and picked up her brush and began brushing her hair. "I met Vader before he followed the Emperor. He was just a nine year old slave boy on Tattoine ……" Jennifer took the brush from Padme's hand because as she told the story about the love of her life it had become idle. Padme talked and as the story was ending Padme noticed that Jennifer had started to make her hair into an up do but Padme stopped her. "Vader likes it down. No fancy hairdo this time." So Jennifer just put two pearl clips into it to keep the hair from falling over her eyes.

Padme surveyed herself and knew she was ready. She was not nervous because she also knew that Vader was waiting for her and she was ready to face him. She walked out of the room and down the hall to Vader's bedroom.

Vader was waiting for her with anticipation seeming to jump out of his body. He was determined not to show it but his stomach was aching with what seemed like a million knots tying and untying themselves in his body. He had gotten a shower also and now was dressed in a black tee shirt with black pants. Black suited him and as he looked himself over he gathered all his confidence and made himself calm down so he was ready for Padme when she came to him.

He had known that he could make her come back to him. Yet a part of him still had a small fear that she would reject him. She had kissed him with all the passion and desire that he had always known her to have for him and yet he still was afraid she would not come. Afraid!1 What's the matter with me? I am Lord Vader. I fear nothing. Yet there was something about Padme that always made his heart turn to Jell-O.

Get a hold of yourself man. He mentally slapped himself. You have been with this woman many times and you deserve her. Yes you are her husband and you have saved her from much she should be worshipping the ground you walk on. You don't need to show her kindness. You are after all Lord Vader. Yes I will have what I want Vader answered himself.

At that Moment there was a knock on the door. He opened the door from where he sat by the fireplace on the other side of the room. He turned to the door and his heart seemed to jump from his chest at the sight of her. Yet his face stayed a perfect mask of calm. Years of practice came in handy at times.

"May I come in Lord Vader?" Padme asked stiffly though she too had a heart jump at the sight of him. She knew she needed to show him respect in order to get what she wanted from him also. So she acted as she had been trained over her many years in office. She masked her true emotions and gave the respect and attitude she knew he wanted from her. Oh it was not weakness for her to do this it was just she knew he needed it at this moment.

It worked perfectly because he knew she was giving him the control he needed and yet underneath he felt the reason for the giving up the control was because she loved him and that was what drove her to do it.

"Come and sit." he commanded though not harshly.

She sat quietly beside him. He ran his hand up her arm and the coolness of his hand sent shivers down her back. He noticed and liked the reaction she gave though her face showed no change.

"Where did you get this dress angel?" he asked quietly.

"It was given to me by my servant girl."

"It looks good on you."

Padme flashed him a smile and then looked into the fire. As she stared into the fire, she remembered the time at the lake on Naboo when they sat before a fireplace very similar to this and a very young Anakin had opened his heart to her for the first time. She longed for him to say such things to her again but she knew that would not happen now. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes though they never fell.

Vader felt her sudden change of mood and noticed the glisten of tears in her eyes. He knew what she wanted to hear and though he knew the feeling was there he would not bring himself to say the words. The love was there but he had squelched his heart for so long there was no way to make it come out. Instead he took her face and turned it towards him and he grabbed her lips with his. Her lips tasted like honey to a starving bear and his hands could not stay only on her face. He found that his hands had a mind of their own and they traveled down her back. Silently her cursed his mechanical hand because he though they moved across her body her could not feel the softness of her skin with them. He could feel the readiness that came from her lips though as they continued to kiss. He could feel her hands wrapping around his neck and twisting in to his hair as the kiss deepened. His traveled down her neck and he felt the softness of her that way. When he kissed her pulse point he felt her heart racing and reveled in the fact that he was doing this to her. He claimed her lips again pulling her tightly against himself.

She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck as they kissed. The tears spilled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes to better capture the feelings that was flowing through her right now. She could not seem to stop the tears anymore than she could stop loving him. She cried for sheer happiness at this feeling and for sheer sadness because she felt like her heart would break knowing she would never hear the three words that she longed so much to hear from those sweet lips that were driving her crazy right now. His lips claimed hers again and her tears mingled with their kiss. Sweet and yet salty, love and yet bitterness, this was how life always was for them. She knew somehow this was how it was always going to be.

A/N 2: I hope you are not upset thatI did not go into detail when she was telling Jennifer about thier romance but I figured you guys already know that soI did not need toget into it again.